Damas

The story

Damas Montréal – Michelin-Recognized Syrian Cuisine in Outremont

Damas, Montréal

On Van Horne Avenue in Outremont, Damas wraps guests in a warmth that feels both ancient and immediate. The restaurant’s interior – velours, carved wood, multicoloured lights – is deliberately theatrical, evoking the tale of a thousand and one nights. It’s a setting that suits the cooking: Syrian cuisine that is abundant, mysterious, and layered.

The menu is built for sharing. Cold mezze open with a delicate kibbeh nayyeh – Quebec lamb tartare worked with bulgur, seven spices, and Aleppo pepper – or a mouhammara of fermented Aleppo pepper, walnuts, and pomegranate molasses. Hot mezze range from sour cherry kebab (charcoal-grilled lamb with a tart Aleppo cherry sauce) to kunafa shrimp, where kataifi pastry wraps wild shrimp with labneh and oak honey. The grill section offers lamb chops, Wagyu beef, and a whole Syrian spiced chicken.

Damas also offers a tasting menu: ten to twelve shared dishes that reflect a modern interpretation of seasonal ingredients and regional Syrian specialties. A pescetarian version is available, and both can be paired with wines from a generous cellar. The wine list, heavy on Lebanese and French bottles, also includes arak, craft cocktails (the Damascus Blinker with rye and tea syrup), and mead.

The restaurant’s Michelin Recommended status, awarded in 2026, echoes what the team has built since opening: a crossroads of Eastern and Western narratives, where regulars come from Mile End or from across the world. There is live music some evenings, and the brunch menu (served on weekends) brings fattoush, labneh, and shakshuka to the table.

Damas describes itself as a microcosm – a place where the hero is the guest, the missing ingredient. The description fits. The cooking is precise, the atmosphere enveloping, and the hospitality genuine.